Leonidas Proposes DOG Mode as Alternative to Bitcoin's BIP 110

Leonidas, known for his advocacy of Ordinals and Runes, has proposed a new open-source Bitcoin client called DOG Mode. This client aims to circumvent the challenges faced by BIP 110, a proposal seeking to limit non-financial data on the Bitcoin blockchain. While BIP 110 requires consensus from miners, DOG Mode can be implemented without such approvals.

DOG Mode intends to adjust the Bitcoin Core’s relay policies by increasing the maximum transaction size from 400,000 weight units to 3,900,000 weight units. Additionally, it proposes lowering the dust limit, the minimum amount of Bitcoin an output can contain for it to be relayed, from a range of 294 to 546 satoshis to just one satoshi. Leonidas believes that these revisions could liberate approximately $25 million in “padding” presently tied up in transactions by Ordinals and Runes.

Differentiating itself from BIP 110, which has struggled to gain miner backing, DOG Mode alters how nodes relay transactions. Almost all Bitcoin nodes operate on Core, which sets standards for transaction sizes and outputs, effectively dictating the network’s operational rules. If a miner accepts a transaction even if it fails Core’s relay criteria, the transaction can still be mined, demonstrating a possible route for DOG Mode to function.

While BIP 110 needs a supermajority of 55% miner support, DOG Mode can operate if any miner chooses to accept the fee. This flexibility positions DOG Mode as a more accessible option for developers wishing to implement changes without the need for broader network consent. Leonidas positions DOG Mode as a less drastic alternative to Bitcoin Knots, a similar client that advocates for restricting data.

Currently, there is no available code for DOG Mode, as Leonidas has just announced the initiative and called for community contributions. Despite the absence of a formal repository or versioning, he seeks support from miners to adopt this new approach and encourages users to promote its adoption.

BIP 110 has not achieved significant miner backing in its pursuit to cap arbitrary data—a user-activated soft fork that has never accumulated more than 1% support. In contrast, DOG Mode highlights a growing tension within the Bitcoin community regarding the handling of non-financial data. As both proposals represent factions within Bitcoin’s ecosystem, the upcoming developments surrounding DOG Mode and community reception will be critical to watch.